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The below-grade level of the 18th-century building is currently being used as an artist’s studio and gallery space.

“Tall windows invite warm natural light into the expansive living room with a fireplace and wall of built-ins, which overlooks the picturesque yard,” says the listing agent.

Built for a scholar, Casa Biblioteca is a sanctuary for reading, stargazing, and enjoying a cigar or two. Floor-to-ceiling glass allows light to freely flood the interior and illuminate its jewel-like structure.

The builders created new, more expansive decks for the cabin and employed larger windows from Marvin.

Designed by two renowned architecture firms, the two-structure property is located on a private, four-acre parcel just a short drive from the area’s artsy downtown.

The compact house is sheathed in cypress, glass, and copper and features an expandable roof.

Volcanic cobblestones, exposed copper pipes, and a slatted timber ceiling provide a textured and moody feeling for the bathroom, where multiple windows help to give the feeling of showering outdoors.

The Farnley Hey house in West Yorkshire has undergone many changes since Peter Womersley designed it in 1954. Christian Harvey and Victoria Davies, the current owners, are working to update the house—and undo some of the previous alterations, including removing the greenhouse inserted under the cantilevered second floor—while staying true to its original aesthetic.

Built of sustainable cross-laminated timber, a prefab cabin by the architecture firm MAPA offers a tranquil escape for São Paulo–based Maurício Uhle and Ralph Weigand. “We wanted to be in touch with nature, in a house made of wood and glass,” says Maurício. Adds Ralph, “We’d been searching for a solution that was well designed and cost-efficient and had a minimal impact on the environment.”

Floor Plan of Woodlands Hideout by Further Society and Arbor and Co.

There wasn’t enough of the reclaimed Puriri timber for wall cladding, so the decision was made to use it for joinery elements and trims. The hardwood timber is also very strong and moisture resistant, so was appropriate to use in these areas.

Shady Pines Cabin floor plan

The apartments feature 23-foot-tall domed ceilings.

Solar panels clip on easily to the steel roof, and rainwater runs off smoothly into collecting barrels. The reflectivity of the material also helps bounce the heat off.

With windows facing the lake, Donna and Oliver have a front-row seat to the action every day. "It’s water that you just want to look at every day because even though it's a vast plane it changes all the time," says Lolley.

The couple outfitted the bus with two sofas with built-in storage, a large kitchen area, and a wood-burning stove.

High above Christina Lake in British Columbia, Bohlin Cywinski Jackson designed an idyllic retreat for Lori Hudson, her husband, and their two boys.